Westport Resident/Actor Davina Porter Inducted Into the Narrator Hall of Fame

In celebration of its 20th anniversary Audible Books, whose mission is 'to unleash the power of the spoken word,' has launched The Narrator Hall of Fame honoring 'the voices that transform stories.'

DAVINA PORTER, a resident of Westport, Connecticut, an award-winning narrator of audio books and an actor (a member of Actors' Equity appearing in many stage productions and recipient of several awards), has been honored as one of the 20 featured inaugural inductees selected by a very select group of Audible Books employees (passionate listeners who spent many, many hours deliberating the merits of hundreds of talented performers).

The selection of the inaugural inductees was based on several criteria: a wide, varied and vibrant body of work; exceptional listener reviews, a commitment to the craft and dedication to spreading awareness of audio performance.

According to Audible Books, "We're honoring the power of performance. Narrators don't just read the story-they bring it to life, adding nuance to every word and personality to every character. Porter has developed a special relationship with the listener, making every audiobook she performs a transporting experience."

For over 20 years, Davina Porter has been recognized internationally for the sheer beauty of her voice and her always-intelligent renditions of both classic and popular literature. Her special talent for a variety of dialects and accents has won the praise of critics and listeners alike.

A founding narrator with Recorded Books, Porter has an impressive list of classics in her audiography including "Anna Karenina" and "Madame Bovary," for which the LA Times hailed her recording as "a narrator against whom all others should be measured." Her audio work has covered the whole range of the written word, including the classics, histories, biographies, romances, "how to" books as well as children's literature. Her interpretation of Paul Revere's horse in "Mr. Revere and I" was praised as "the perfect choice for a mare of distinction and breeding." Few female narrators have the fluid capacity to capture grand historical figures as well as the more subtle, introspective portraits.

She was also included among Audiofile magazine's 50 Best Voices of the Last Century. In an interview with AudioFile, she expressed her admiration for authors who do their homework, like Diana Gabaldon. Davina is particularly well known for having recorded the entire Gabaldon Outlander series. In 2015, she received the Sova Award for Best Female Narrator for In my Own Heart's Blood, the latest in The Outlander Series. She has won several awards for Excellence in narrating and was one of three Golden Voices of 2002 and 2003. In 2004 she was the proud recipient of an Audie, the Oscar of the audio book industry. In 2006, her recording of A Breath of Snow and Ashes, earned her a second Audie for Best Female Narrator of the Year,

Her longtime marriage to Scotsman Fergus Porter, has made her at home with the Scottish accents of Alexander McCall Smith's 'The Sunday Philosopher's Club' with the Isabel Dalhousie series of "Friends, Lovers, Chocolate" and "The Right Attitude to Rain."

Porter's success with a range of mysteries is a testament to her perceptive approach to seeking the author's intent. The Victorian setting of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries are delightfully narrated, including recent titles "Bluegate Fields" and "Highgate Rise." She introduced listeners to Cynthia Riggs's series with "The Cemetery Yew" and "Deadly Nightshade," both set on Martha's Vineyard.

In each of her book narrations, she has the uncanny ability to lift each voice off the page and at the same time maintain a natural sense. She attends to every detail...word, phrase, and emotion come alive with her distinct narrative style.

Regarding her reading of "Splendors and Glooms" one of her hundreds of fan letters stated "I've heard many narrators 'do voices', but the best ones do what you did: truly play the characters...with kindness or warmth...there was somehow an attitude of kindness and caring in your voice toward the people inhabiting the book that granted the listener free and inviting access to the world of the story."

Another fan wrote "Fran Muller and C.J. Critt were my all-time favorite narrators, and, after hearing you read "Beyond the Black Stump," I'm adding you to my list whose voices I'd listen to if they read the phone book!"

In addition to Davina Porter, the list (see below) also includes Alan Cumming, Jim Dale and Barbara Rosenblat and Edward Herrmann, among others.